A powerline disappears from the landscape, imaginary trees disguise neighbouring flats and the purple sunset would look more at home in the tropical Maldives.

Retouched real – estate advertisements can have Melbourne house hunters playing a game of spot the difference.

Some estate agents are flouting consumer laws and risking up to $220,000 or more in penalties by Photoshopping their advertising images, observers warn.

The property at 166 Esplanade, Brighton.

Fairfax Media has found multiple examples of listings where furniture and tiles were distorted by the stretching of rooms, greenery was filled in and colours were so vivid they appeared like a Disney cartoon.

A powerline on the Brighton Esplanade was almost invisible in depictions of the views of two neighbouring properties, listed by separate agencies.

Kay and Burton in Brighton and Marshall White in Armadale said the photos are genuine and the single power line that runs along the foreshore blended into the background colours.

“It’s a dusk shot, with long exposure and there’s a deep, dark sky behind the black powerline,” photographer Gerard Warrener, who produced the Marshall White shot, said. “Then you look at it low-resolution on the web.

“Everything is retouched, colours are always enhanced and darkened and lightened but we don’t do it to hide powerlines. It’s illegal. You do it so the photos look lovely.”

Independent property advisor Mark Armstrong said real estate photos were being manipulated, including unnatural light in every corner, in an attempt to get potential buyers to visit the properties.

“Photos sell property online, the text doesn’t,” the director of iProperty Plan said. “The main photo, the hero shot, is the difference between getting someone to click onto your property and ignoring it.”

However, he said the hours spent creating the perfect image could backfire once potential buyers saw the reality.

“You cross the line into art or fantasy by trying to hide things and if anything you’ll turn buyers off.”

Buyers advocate David Morrell said such manipulation had worsened now the internet was the dominant way to market houses.

“It’s misleading, deceptive and it’s a fraud,” he said. “They can make a cave look like it’s got a northerly aspect.”

Buyers would do better to look at Google Streetview for a more realistic look at the property, he said.

Consumer Affairs Victoria said photographs that are “digitally or otherwise enhanced to hide undesirable features or promote other features” should not be used.

The maximum penalty is $220,000 for an individual and civil penalties for the same amount apply.

Director of Kay and Burton’s Brighton agency, Stewart Lopez, said the company would never instruct a photographer to digitally remove a powerline.

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria said most agents complied with Australian consumer law that requires marketing photos to be a “true and accurate” representation of the property.

Spokesman Robert Larocca said no photograph could perfectly represent a property and encouraged consumers to visit during the open inspections.

“The displaying and advertising of property can be a little subjective and of course everyone wants to portray the property in the best light possible,” Mr Larocca said.

Agents were not supposed to add or subtract things from a property, but could play with light and lens angles to make it look more attractive, he said.

“You can put a nice blue sky behind the property because you are not selling a permanent blue sky, I think that’s understood.”